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‘When Harry Met Sally’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Amanda Dobbins

July 9, 2019 · When Harry Met Sally... (1989) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:36:34

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Amanda Dobbins▶ 21:25Agrees with another host's picks, mentions being 'three for three' on their shared list including the pie/chef salad diner scene with 'Sheldon the Wondershlong'
Bill Simmons▶ 20:55Lists multiple scenes: grape spitting scene from 1977, diner scenes, Harry and Sally on the plane in 1982 (airport pickup, white man's overbite, 30 seconds to all night), Carrie Fisher's first scene leading into Bruno Kirby's ballgame scene, and the museum scene at Temple of Dandor
Juliet Litman▶ 21:51Favors the scene where Harry talks about reading the last page of books in case he dies (second car ride), and discusses details of the museum scene

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Amanda Dobbins▶ 32:49Discusses the unrealistic apartment sizes and real estate in the movie, noting how this film influenced over-the-top apartments in later rom-coms
Bill Simmons▶ 31:42Questions about characters' religions (Is Harry Jewish?) and careers (What does Carrie Fisher's character do for work? How successful is Jess as a writer?)
Juliet Litman▶ 33:25Weighs in on character career questions, suggesting that being a writer for New York Magazine in the 80s could afford better living than now

What's Aged the Worst

Amanda Dobbins▶ 54:33Bad acting in the 'I hate you' scene and the total fetishization of coupledom - everyone must be in couples with no representation of being happily single
Bill Simmons▶ 54:04Harry's hairline/wigs in college scenes - he looks older in college than in 1989, and lack of diversity (no black people, only heterosexual couples)
Juliet Litman▶ 53:54The way they handled Harry's hairline - his wigs are worse than her various hairstyles

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 56:25Albert Brooks — Discusses Albert Brooks turning down Harry role (thankful he did), Susan Day as first choice for Sally (finds it weird), and notes Molly Ringwald scheduling conflict would have been disaster
Juliet Litman▶ 57:19Molly Ringwald — Glad Molly Ringwald wasn't cast because she's 'a real negative in the John Hughes movies' and 'a downer'

Dion Waiters Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 58:02Carrie Fisher
Bill Simmons▶ 57:58Carrie Fisher
Juliet Litman▶ 59:48Carrie Fisher

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:39No for Billy Crystal (City Slickers and Oscars hosting was higher level), No for Meg Ryan (despite ruling the 90s), No for Rob Reiner (Misery and Castle Rock came later)
Juliet Litman▶ 1:05:44No for Billy Crystal (launches him to next level), Yes for Rob Reiner initially but then accepts it's No due to later successes

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:32Bruno Kirby

Overacting Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:08:08Meg Ryan — Initially suggests Meg Ryan for 'the last scene' but seems to agree with another host's different Meg Ryan nomination, noting she's 'all over the place' with different tones
Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:18Meg Ryan — Meg Ryan, specifically for the scene when she finds out Joe's engaged and invites Harry over with all the crying - calls it 'really floppy' and 'weird performance'
Juliet Litman▶ 1:09:14Meg Ryan — Discusses Meg Ryan's performance issues but frames it more as character inconsistency than pure overacting, questioning whether certain moments make sense for the character

Best Quote

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:22:34Likes the Pesto/quiche line and 'It's Too Bad because you're the only person I knew in New York'
Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:48Multiple quotes including 'Well, that symptom is fucking my wife', 'Thin, pretty big tits. Your basic nightmare', 'Oh, but baby fish mouth is sweeping the nation', 'I just want it the way I want it', and Harry's final speech
Juliet Litman▶ 1:22:21Carrie Fisher's line: 'I have people, restaurants are to people in the 80s with theater word people in the 60s. I read that.'

Half-Assed Internet Research

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:25:08Commented on Harry's appropriate sweat level for the distance and confirmed expectation that he ran uptown
Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:37Harry's run distance: 3/4 mile from Washington Square Park to Puck Building (295 West Lafayette Street) via Bleeker Street, taking 6 minutes at 5 mph
Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:19Connection between When Harry Met Sally and Seinfeld: Movie's success may have influenced Brandon Tartikoff to order more Seinfeld episodes in 1990 after initial burial
Juliet Litman▶ 1:25:02Added context about Puck Building becoming condos and having an REI, referenced Mark Harris's Grantland article from Rom-Com Week

Who Won the Movie

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:27:41Nora Ephron — Nora Ephron - because this established her as a force and led to Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail
Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:24Nora Ephron — Nora Ephron - because she created the rom-com structure that became dominant for 30 years and didn't want to choose between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan
Juliet Litman▶ 1:26:59Billy Crystal — Initially chose Billy Crystal for the final speech and best non-Meg Ryan scenes, but wavered throughout the discussion

Movies Referenced (44)

Casablanca (1942)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 43:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

4 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons▶ 10:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

4 mentions · Juliet Litman, Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons▶ 10:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

You've Got Mail (1998)

4 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Juliet Litman, Bill Simmons▶ 10:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 14:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Family Stone (2005)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:31:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Annie Hall (1977)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman▶ 4:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

City Slickers (1991)

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons▶ 19:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

How Do You Know (2010)

2 mentions · ▶ 21:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Little Giants (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 0:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Misery (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (10)

Rob Reiner

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, Amanda Dobbins · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 9:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Juliet Litman · Known for Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry▶ 3:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jimmy Breslin

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 28:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alison Wonderland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Promising Young Woman▶ 48:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Corner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:09:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jayson Clute

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Titanic, American Psycho▶ 44:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jill Goodacre

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 38:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hughes

1 mentions · Juliet Litman · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 57:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leslie Libman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Penny Marshall

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Big, A League of Their Own▶ 1:04:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (53)

Billy Crystal

32 mentions · Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Forget Paris, City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 8:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meg Ryan

26 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Juliet Litman · Known for When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail▶ 5:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carrie Fisher

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi▶ 13:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Seinfeld

6 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Natalie Portman

6 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Juliet Litman, Bill Simmons · Known for Black Swan▶ 1:31:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruno Kirby

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 13:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Castle Rock

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 16:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marsha Clark

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 27:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Rose

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Ides of March, Primary Colors▶ 1:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heather Burns

3 mentions · Juliet Litman · Known for You've Got Mail, Two Weeks Notice, Miss Congeniality▶ 59:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

They Might Be Giants

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman · Known for The Adjustment Bureau, Sky High▶ 0:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Victor Garber

3 mentions · Juliet Litman, Bill Simmons · Known for Argo, Titanic▶ 13:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Nora Ephron

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Juliet Litman · Known for Julie & Julia, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 9:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nancy Meyers

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman · Known for It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give, Private Benjamin▶ 1:32:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Letterman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 19:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jay McInerney

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 33:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:25:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗